I’m a bit of a list maker. I’m a great
believer in writing things down so they don’t get forgotten and crossing things
off once they have been done.
Take this week’s list for example. Number two on it was ‘clear
up the kitchen’. Meaning ‘don’t stop at
unloading the dishwasher, do the rest too!’
There were 18 items on the list. I have crossed off 10 of
them. ‘Do the ironing’ is a perennial that gets transferred from list to list. If
I wrote ‘hide the ironing’ it would be closer to the truth (and I could cross
it off!) One of the more perplexing entries just says ‘send e-mail’ but not to whom or what about so that one’s pretty
useless.
This time of year, however, the lists multiply. I now have
one for Christmas presents and another for R’s 7th birthday party in
a fortnight’s time. I have a list for vital things I mustn’t forget, like
picking mum up from the station on Tuesday or renewing the car
insurance for both cars.
Then there’s the
Christmas card list, the things to do in the garden list and the list written
by my mother to remind me how to look after her animals while she’s away.
Perhaps the latter proves that the making of lists is an inherited trait…
Not forgetting, of course, the list of DIY projects for my
OH and the shopping list I wrote for him of things to get from Tesco on his way home from
work today, and its sister list of ideas for the food we might be going to eat
over the weekend.
I have even got a neat little list, on the back of an old
envelope, helpfully written by OH with ideas for his birthday which is useful
but I’ve got to keep that list safe until the end of next February.
Actually, with so many lists, I can see a time soon when I’m
going to need a list of my lists… but perhaps that would be a list too far.
I'm very glad you make lists - you've just reminded me about the car tax.
ReplyDeleteguineapigmum
Not a great list maker but we do have a large chalkboard in the kitchen on which appointments and important things get scrawled and I am planning for another one ( when I can find a big enough piece of wood) for my studio for writing orders on.
ReplyDeleteMy mother kept a ledger in which she wrote christmas and birthday gifts each year which was a delightful piece of social family history! I wonder where that went?
I'm a list maker too - trouble is I could save myself a lot of time by just reusing the same lists. I think I need a project manager too!
ReplyDeleteI sometimes find an ancient list, 10-20 years old, perhaps - and it looks strangely familiar.....
ReplyDeleteDo you have a list of blog posts too? Starlings back at Plumstone by the way - should be on your list for this winter
ReplyDeleteIt was fun to read about your relationship with lists. I love to scribble down little lists on tiny pieces of paper. Scraps from envelopes...that sort of paper.
ReplyDeleteIf I manage to get through any of these, fine. If not, well, it was only some scratching on a tiny scrap of paper.
The lists required to keep up with everything at the shop need very big pieces of paper. Nonetheless, I now just keep those lists on scraps. If I get through the list, fine. If not, I will start another scrap of paper.
Honestly, I am not sure if writing these "necessities" down actually helps to get them done, or just make me feel the weight of them.
xo
"To live is to make lists." ~ Anon.
ReplyDeleteI have mine in my computer. It gets printed out each day with my appointments for the day, and I'll sometimes add things after I have printed things off. I know the idea of having one list may seem strange, until you see the reference to "See list on. . . ." Ah, yes.
The path to Where is paved with good intentions? And lists.
Still smiling at al your lists :) I make a shopping list as I am hopeless at remembering what I need, I think it is because I hate shopping. The other list is on my computer in 'Tasks,' it works most of the time....I think! Have a great day! x
ReplyDeleteso impressed l can't make a list to save my life,
ReplyDelete